The U.S. Department of Education announced more than $4 million in grants Monday that will be distributed to select charter schools across the country.

Twenty three schools received funding to strengthen their programming, and three were awarded large grants that came with an endorsement -- funding earmarked to help them prepare their successful curricula for dissemination to other charters across the country.

Chicago-based charter program Perspectives, which operates five schools across the city, received the largest award offered in this category and stands to get $400,000 in federal funding over the next two years. Their program, called "A Disciplined Life," focuses on social and emotional learning inside and outside of the classroom.

Perspectives co-founder and President Diana Shulla-Cose spoke with HuffPost Chicago about what this grant means for her charter schools, and how she envisions expanding the philosophy she first developed as a Chicago Public Schools teacher.